193
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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Genesee."-Mr. Holt stated that some of the dunnage wood on board had been sold, and it was a question to what account the proceeds should be placed. The Committee recommended that inquiries should be made as to when the dunnage had been bought.
It was agreed that Messrs. Steel, Young and Company should agree with the Admiralty Marshal as to the value of the provisions on board this ship when she was taken over by the former at St. Lucia on behalf of the Committee.
The Committee agreed that the date of this ship's transfer to the Admiralty Coasting Trade Office should be the 22nd March, the date on which she completed her discharge at Hull.
7. 9.0. "Clevedon."—Mr. Holt reported that this ship had now arrived at Port Arthur.
and
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8. Steamships “Hamborn
Hocking." The Committee agreed that the s.s. "Hocking" should be regarded as transferred to the Admiralty Coasting on the 9th of March. Trade Office on the 27th of February, and the "Hamborn A letter from the Hudson Bay Company with regard to the demurrage on the latter ship was considered. The Committee decided that, although the explanation given for not paying demurrage was not regarded as tenable under the charter, the Com- mittee would waive their claim since the wheat with which the ship had been loaded was for the account of the French Government, and a very high freight had been paid.
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9. S.S. Schneefels."-The Committee decided that the cost of the chain cable which had been paid to the Admiralty could not be recovered from the representa- tives of the cargo owners under the terms of the agreement, since that agreement provided that the representatives were not to be charged for any additions to the vessel, her machinery, equipment, or outfit.
The Committee also considered a letter from Messrs. Waltons and Company with regard to the item of £190 which had been included in the account sent to the representatives. It was eventually thought that the reasons for including this item should be explained to Messrs. Parker, Garrett and Company, and that if they contested the amount further the matter could be again considered by the Committee.
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10. Steamships "Hamm and "Apolda."-Mr. Tennyson explained that, on the commencement of the charters to the Millars Timber and Trading Company in Australia, no accurate account was made of the stores, provisions, and coal on board the ships at the time. As, however, the charters to the Company were on a cost basis, sums had to be credited to the original voyages of the ships from_South Africa to Australia, and definite figures had, therefore, to be fixed. The Federal Company had now agreed with Messrs. Millars' auditors' figures for the stores, etc., used on the original voyages, which had been arrived at by comparison with figures for stores used on other similar voyages by the Federal Company. By deducting these figures from the amounts known to have been procured for the original voyages, The Committee agreed that the figures the sums to be credited could be fixed. might be accepted.
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The Committee were unable to agree to the form of clause suggested by the charterers giving the Committee the option of cancelling the charter in the event of the termination of the War before the conclusion of the voyages already agreed upon. It was suggested, however, that the clause should be worded so as to give the Committee the option to cancel on the cessation of hostilities, the Committee
<< cessation of hostilities being made the sole judge of this date. If such a phrase as were used the Committee thought there would be no objection to providing that twenty-one days' notice before the commencement of any voyage must be given to the charterers. Voyage" should, however, be construed as meaning a voyage either to Australia from South Africa, or vice versa, but not the double voyage.
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11. 5.8. Australia."—The Committee considered a despatch which had been received from the Governor of Ceylor, forwarding a claim by Messrs. Walker and Company to be compensated for damage, amounting to Rs.4,107, caused to their slipway while this ship was being moved into dock for repairs. In view of the opinion expressed by the Attorney-General, the Committee decided to accept th recommendation made by the Collector of Customs and to offer Messrs. Walker an ex gratia payment of Rs.3,000 in settlement of their claim. As regards the audit
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in connexion with the amount already spent in docking and repairs to the query
Australia," the Committee considered that, since the Colonial Government were acting as the Committee's agents, no claim could be made against that Government in the circumstances set out by the Attorney-General.
12.
s.s." Kong Inge."-The Secretary stated that he had ascertained from Mr. Woods, of the Procurator-General's Department, that this ship was loaded with a cargo of contraband consigned to Germany. It was agreed that, if she were found suitable for the Coasting Trade Office, an application might be made to the Pro- curator-General to requisition her for use in the coasting trade, and that it was unnecessary to consult the Foreign Office officially.
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13. 8.8. 'Istria." The Secretary reported that he had now received a letter from the Prize Claims Committee stating that, in their opinion, the terms of th Order of the Court at Alexandria in respect of the cargo on this ship should be enforced in the ordinary way. It was, however, agreed that no action need be taken till the account sales had been received from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
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8.8. "Montana."-The Committee agreed that Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company should be asked to report whether they recommended that this ship should be sold in this country as she lay at Malta.
15. s.v. "Dirigo."-The Committee had no recommendations to make as to the use of this ship pending adjudication in the event of the Coasting Trade Office being unable to employ her.
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$.8. "Seattle."-The Committee recommended that the Governor of the Falkland Islands should be asked by the Colonial Office to inquire as to the dis- crepancies in the stores reported by the Governor to be on board and as to those taken over by Lieutenant-Commander Pollard, and that the Admiralty should ask the Naval Agent at Sierra Leone to report upon the discrepancy between those handed over by Lieutenant-Commander Pollard and those reported to have been received by Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company when they took over the ship.
It was agreed that a sum of £14, in respect of the stores of this ship credited
by the Admiralty Coasting Trade Office, might be paid into the Committee's account for the voyage from West Africa if it related to this voyage.
(Mr. Evans now took the chair, as Vice-Admiral Slade had to leave to keep another appointment.)
17. Steamships " Werdenfels" and "Lauterfels."The Secretary reported that he had now received vouchers for the "Werdenfels" from Messrs. Grahams and Company, with their reply to the inquiry which had been addressed to them with regard to the preliminary account for this ship. It was agreed that the Committee were responsible for the details of the account, since any amount in excess of the freight would be charged upon all the cargo owners and a portion of it would therefore fall upon the enemy cargo. The account should now go to Mr. Bebb for a report.
As regards the amount of the commission charged by Messrs. Grahams and Company and Messrs. Wackerbarth, the Committee, after hearing the explanation given in Messrs. Grahams' letter, decided that the latter should be informed that £750 was excessive, in view of the fact that, in the case of other ships similarly employed, commission had only been charged at the rate of 5 per cent. on disburse- ments, and that Messrs. Grahams were dealing with four ships, which would make the total amount of the commission, if charged at the same rate in the case of the
'Gutenfels " and " Barenfels," no less than £3,000.
The Committee agreed that their decision with regard to the "Werdenfels applied equally to the accounts of the "Lauterfels.'
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The Committee also considered Messrs. Grahams' proposal to commute the premium payable to the underwriters under the Committee's insurance cover for a fixed sum of £500 for the four ships dealt with by them. It was agreed that Messrs. Grahams should be told that no further action could be taken in the matter until the report had been received from the Marshal at Alexandria as to the artion taken by him with regard to the collection of the premium in question.
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